Ballast Location and types

[Ed Funk]

^^^^^. And probably safer since it's welded to the cage rather than bolted to sheet metal.

[ajmr2]

Seems to me some old bar bell weights are the easy button bolted to the floor of the car. I habe recently dropped a pile of weight from the drivers seat and will need to add back into ballast. Some reason my idea is no good?

Not sure if this will work, but I tried to attach 2 photos to this response. It's what 255 lbs looks like for the privelege of going from ITA to ITB back in 2009. A bit imposing, ya know? Huge bolt down the middle and strapped in big time. Fotunately it's all gone now. And no huge jump in lap times.
OK it worked. To clarify, my car was already about 75 lbs over ITA weight, so this is about 150 lbs added including the strapping.

[Chip42]

allowed components that may be freely added or removed are good ballast - cool suit coolers, fire systems, oil accumulators (accusump), mufflers, sway bar brackets, strut tower bars... just keep it tolerable and most of the time you will be found compliant. exploit hard and you can get dinged. actual ballast, as in material added specifically to meet minimum race weight must meet ballast rules in the ITCS, 9.1.3.D.9.l - 50lb sections max, removable, 2, 1/2 in grade 5 bolts, big washers, lock nuts, etc... usually this will be gym weights in some sort of containment system, plates of metal, lead bricks, shot-filled boxes, etc... google ballast box for some good ideas but remember the IT rules when you implement them, they are specific and unique.

unfortunately, AJ's ballast stack was illegal as ballast must be retained by 2 or more 1/2in grade 5 or higher bolts in IT (9.1.3.D.9.l.2)

I run a 3Qt accusump in the "frunk" of my MR2, slight weight shift. big oil cooler, steel radiator over Al (not overheating, weighs more), cool suit cooler in the frunk, etc... move legal weight forward. I have a ~33# lead brick bolted just forward of the forward seat mount cross brace up against the rocker.

[ajmr2]

unfortunately, AJ's ballast stack was illegal as ballast must be retained by 2 or more 1/2in grade 5 or higher bolts in IT (9.1.3.D.9.l.2)

Actually, what you don't see is the fore/aft steel strap was bolted to the floor with 4 bolts and nuts, 2 on each end, which did meet the requirement. Believe me, I didn't want to see that thing come loose!

[tom91ita]

Solid "tubing" is illegal IMHO.

Tubing is required to be manufactured by drawn over mandrel as I understand it.

That's why I installed a 2" long section of tubing with an inspection hole to prove I used tubing.

[Matt93SE]

Solid "tubing" is illegal IMHO.

It's not tubing, it's a heavy-ass gusset!

[gran racing]

It's illegal and has been tested in the past.

[mossaidis]

Before my EG Civic in ITA had its min weight lowered, I used two of these in the passenger component, bolted to the floor by 2 G9 bolts/nuts for each bar.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/25-Lb-...last,7014.html

There's a 50 lbs bar just in case you want to get crazy.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/50-Lb-...last,2164.html

[ajmr2]

That's so cool! Just add 50% shipping and you'll also need "hazardous material" decals on your car!

[quadzjr]

Similar to Chip's.. before weight reduction. In MR2.. factory legal spare tire, 4 loaf pans of lead, accusump, all the factory bits bolted on the underside of the car, etc..

[mossaidis]

That's so cool! Just add 50% shipping and you'll also need "hazardous material" decals on your car!

When I ordered them, the sales guy placed each one into a USPS "if it fits, it ships" box. shrug

[Chip42]

Actually, what you don't see is the fore/aft steel strap was bolted to the floor with 4 bolts and nuts, 2 on each end, which did meet the requirement. Believe me, I didn't want to see that thing come loose!

I inherited a similar weight stack from Mike's car which came out of the DC region. single strap made of 1" box section, the strap secured on both ends by 1/2" bolts. the floor had a thick steel plate with a pipe in the center of the steel barbell weight stack, and that plate was welded to the floor. insane contraption, and was questioned by tech on multiple occasions. glad it's now just a tripping hazard in my garage.

Since the weight drop I know just have the one "loaf" of lead. we melted a bunch of tire weights into loaf pans to make blocks of 25-33 lbs. each. stamped each with some fun acronyms that need not be share din public but reflected our sentiments toward the political origins of the weight.

anyone want ~200# of barbell weights and a rig to mount them?

[tom91ita]

Not exactly ballast but a friend installed a piece of roll cage tubing in the car to protect wiring etc from the passenger compartment to the engine bay.

I used 1.5" pool vacuum hose because it was simple and cheap. But if you wanted to add several pounds in an unorthodox method that would not attract attention.......

[joeg]

A solid bar is just tubing with infinite wall thickness. You can just pick very thick gauge DOM, bigger mounting plates, etc., if you believe that strategy is illegal.

My personal favorite is a thick walled stainless exhaust system. Heavy and down low.

[Chip42]

cage rules require DOM tubing. solid bar is not DOM tubing and doesn't meet the definition of gussets in the glossary especially if used as a cage member, even an optional one.

[mossaidis]

tubing = tubing. Pretty simple.

[lawtonglenn]

...

[shwah]

I just bolted a pair of 1"x9"x18" steel plates (maybe they were 1.5".... they were about 50# each) to the passenger floor area per the rules.

I also retained the asphalt sound deadening, sand bag vibration dampers and interior carpeting, since spread all over the floor was an excellent location for weight.